Synchronization of Lucid Emotions
by Syncidence
Summary: Tamano no Mae's spirit soundlessly sleeps within the blood of the Uzumaki family and in the eyes of Uzumaki Naruto the consequences of every action can be seen as they stretch across eternity; his own lost to the void.
1. Chapter 1 PT 1

Uzumaki Naruto silently thumbed the sealed letter that had arrived earlier that day. The courier-nin had informed him that he had only thirteen hours until a response was required. Naruto could easily make out the personal seal of the Yondaime Hokage – leader of Konohagakure no Sato – which meant that this was a letter of business, not pleasure.

That had been seventeen hours ago; he had come to the decision of replying to it two hours after he had received the letter, and another fifteen had passed before he managed to do just that. How does one respond to a personal summons by one's own boss; more so when the crux of the matter is the identity of said boss. Namikaze Minato, the boy's own father.

Apparently this letter was far more than just an attempt to reconnect with his estranged son.

_Do I or don't I?_ Naruto mused, _if I do, I'll probably be expected to return to the village full-time, sooner than I expected; however... if I don't reply, father will no doubt send someone – probably Hatake-dono – to 'peacefully' escort me home. _His one red eye narrowed pensively at the full moon. Streams of silver light danced along the forest tree leaves and reflected off of the waters of the still pond like a mirror, illuminating the darkest of nights. He could see no stars in the night sky; but he knew why.

Already his problems had begun and his perception of the world around him had begun to dim.

Fading into the background.

* * *

"There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human- in not having to be just happy or just sad- in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time."

-C. JoyBell C.

* * *

**Synchronization of Lucid Emotions**

**Chapter One: Under the Pale Moon's Glow**

Haruno Sakura couldn't help but fidget whilst under the gaze of the Yondaime Hokage. There was just something about the blond man's eyes that sent an uncontrollable shiver down her spine and set her blood aflame. Sapphire eyes brighter than the sky, soft and gentle, hardened and mournful, filled with both mirth and grief; he had the eyes of a veteran who had seen enemies falter and allies bleed, who had seen the epitome of humanity in good and bad ways. He had watched friends and family die around him, as he pressed onwards to ensure that it wasn't in vain.

_Yes. _She thought to herself. _Yondaime-sama is a man with the presence of a true shinobi. It doesn't hurt that he's down right fuckable either._ A small blush broke across her cheeks. Sakura had been nursing a crush – bordering on obsession – on the Hokage ever since her Jonin-sensei, Hatake Kakashi, had introduced his team to the man personally a year and a half ago. She couldn't count herself more lucky.

It was rare for anyone to ever meet their village leader, even more so in a military village, even once in their lives. There were notable exceptions, of course, such as if someone (Kakashi) was close to the man and his family, or if you were an adviser or had a seat on the council. So when, just over a year ago, Kakashi had brought his team over to the Namikaze estate for dinner and Sakura had met the Hokage for the first time, she couldn't help but develop that inkling of a crush on the man.

The way the man – no, the god amongst men – had ruffled Kakashi's hair in that father/son kind of way, the small chuckle that escaped this throat at her sensei's cry of indignation, even the way his eyes crinkled as he laughed out right at some whispered joke that took a few minutes for the man to understand. Yes, Minato was an inspiring presence, and when that was combined with a teenage girl struggling through puberty the crush was a logical progression.

It didn't hurt that she was a pervert much like the man that was her sensei; she just wasn't as open about it as he was. Her porn was locked away, hidden in her room, not stuffed reverently into a pocket from her Chunin vest like his was.

Still, here she was, standing side by side with her teammate – Uchiha Sasuke, the king of pricks – twirling her hair around her index finger like a schoolgirl all over again. The pink velvet strands curling and uncurling as they slid off the tip of her finger only to be seized and spun around again. Sakura let out a soft sigh at her own pathetic self. Her emerald eyes closing as she forced her breath to steady and her heart rate to slow; if only so she could get through this meeting with minimal embarrassment.

"You called for us Minato-sensei?" Kakashi asked calmly as he surveyed the room around him. One mahogany desk, situated close to the panoramic window, stacks of paperwork littered the top of it; several shelves of books and scrolls along the far left wall of the room; a locked cabinet with bottle after bottle of alcohol tucked shamefully away in the right corner; two potted plants on the window-seal, and a small tree just beside the desk.

Sakura blinked. _When did Kakashi-sensei get here?_

"Yes." Minato responded quickly, his eyes still going over the paperwork before him. Scanning it line after line, word after word – meticulously – as if looking for something, anything that could make him throw it away entirely. "I'll speak with you in just a moment, I need to go over these forms quickly and I was positive you'd be as late as you always are when I sent out that request."

To the side of the room, Uchiha Sasuke scoffed. The raven haired teen was not one to take being dismissed so offhandedly lightly. _He probably thinks he's better than that_. Sakura thought as she heard the boy. _How did I ever want to make him love me?_

"Of course Hokage-sama." Kakashi spoke dully. "We'll be ready whenever you are."

The minutes counted passed and the sounds of silence reverberated off the office walls. The sound of a page being flipped over, a quick scribble of a pen and the thud of a stamp. Repeated, several times over, before the small stack of paperwork was moved from one side of the desk to the other before Minato turned his gaze from the papers on to Kakashi and his team.

"Three months ago, Nomura Hideki, your tertiary subordinate was labelled as KIA in your mission report." Minato's voice was passive as he spoke. "Officially it was stated, in your report I might add, that on a routine border patrol you and your team had encountered a pair of missing-nin with no known previous affiliation."

"That is correct Hokage-sama." Kakashi replied with a small waver in his voice.

"For whatever reason they had, these missing-nin decided to pursue your team rather than avoid conflict. You had managed to out run them for several kilometres until one of your students, Haruno Sakura, started losing pace with the rest of you and began to lag behind. With me so far?"

"We are."

"Excellent. What happened next was... unpredictable, in your own words. Hideki decided the drop back to the rear guard of your escort and engaged both of the missing-nin, on his own and without any orders to do so. It provided Sakura with the time needed to catch up to both you and Sasuke; where upon the three of you decided that it was a required of you to eliminate the threat that these missing-nin provided."

"Yes."

"In the resulting battle, not only did Sasuke finally show some willingness to work with his team in a combat situation, but Sakura demonstrated previously unknown medical techniques using her Chakra to patch up minor wounds. In mid-combat."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

"Impressive." He paused. "However, despite your intervention and following victory, Nomura Hideki succumbed to his wounds on your journey back to Konoha."

"That is what happened Hokage-sama."

"Unofficially, however, you reported that the wounds that most likely resulted in Hideki's death were not the ones received from the missing-nin, but rather the burns that came from Sasuke's fire jutsu. The one, where rather than avoid the impact, Hideki stood his ground with the captured missing-nin to ensure the moves successful hit."

Sasuke bristled in anger at that comment. His eyes narrowed, his fists and jaw had clenched, and his muscles tightened in preparation to attack.

"Calm yourself Sasuke." Minato said while raising his left hand up passively. "No-one is actively blaming your for the death of a friend and teammate, we're merely trying to figure out why Kakashi hasn't put in a request for an additional team member yet. Whether it be some form of self-blame on his or your part, or because your team is still grieving too much for active duty."

"I wasn't sure they were ready for a new teammate yet, Hokage-sama." Kakashi spoke after a few moments. "This _was_ the first death from their generation that they had to deal with. If you recall, of the teams that had graduated that year took a month off of active duty; it's only natural that Sasuke and Sakura felt the loss a little harder than the rest." He ran a hand through his silver hair after he gave his reasons. He felt nervous for some reason.

"Be that as it may, Kakashi-kun," Minato spoke with a more gentle voice now. "You and your team have been off of active duty far too long and I've begun to receive complaints from the councilmen and members of the regular forces. You and your team are hereby placed back on active duty, and a new member has been assigned to your team."

"Sir?" Kakashi responded with a questioning tone to his voice, and his head cocked to the side.

"I'm afraid the matter is out of my hands Kakashi-kun. My hand has been forced due to outside circumstances and we'll just have to make due with what we have. Something is starting – only this – I can tell you with absolute certainty, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure that we're prepared."

"I'm not sure I understand, Hokage-sama." Sakura spoke, her voice quivering with nervousness and fear. "What's starting?"

"I'm afraid, Sakura-chan" Minato spoke after a moments of silence, "that the next great shinobi war is upon us and that there is little we can do at this point to prevent the spark that will ignite the flame. That is why, from now on Kakashi, that you'll be training team seven to undergo the kind of missions that our team used to; during the third war."

"Ah..." Kakashi's voice trailed off with the hint of an unknown emotion lacing his voice. "Are you sure that's the best course of action Hokage-sama?"

"We haven't much choice. Your team is officially off of the active mission roster until further notice. You have three months Kakashi. In three months I want your team ready to be active behind enemy lines."

"Of course. I'll do my best; we'll do our best. Hokage-sama." Confidence laced Kakashi's voice under toned by – something. "Is that everything?"

"Yes. Yes it is. Dismissed." The finality of his voiced echoed in the office space.

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke all bowed respectfully to their leader before turning around with grace and exiting the room. As the door shut softly behind Kakashi – the last man out – the Hokage took one last glance at them before returning to his seat.

"Good luck Kakashi-kun." Minato whispered to himself as he reached for another stack of papers. "You'll need it; I'm sure."

* * *

The southern gates of Konohagakure no Sato appeared in the distance as Uzumaki Naruto casually strolled up the well travelled road that lead to the great city. With his eyes closed and a content smile on his face – probably from the feeling of the wind – the teenager lazily ran a hand through his blond – though tipped in red – hair.

_I should have tied my hair up_. Naruto thought to himself, coming to a complete halt and fumbling into the small brown pouch tied at his left hip. After rummaging around for a few moments, he retrieved a black and gold hair tie. Pulling his hair out of his face and back over his head, the young boy quickly, and with the ease of years of practice, styled the loose strands of his hair in to a long tail that fell down to the small of his back. _If only Mae would left me cut if off; I would go bald in a heart beat, _Naruto let out a small, wistful sigh, _if only I could._

Resuming his trek at a more hurried pace Naruto's ears twitched as the noise of the bustling city reached him on the wind. The sound of many voices, shouting about this sale and that sale; the shouts of mothers calling after their errant child; the odd chime of a bell in the distant door frames; even the sounds of footsteps now reached his ears. What used to be shadows in the shape of people now held clear forms as the teenager walked up to the check station.

The two guards – if they could be called that – were discussing something among themselves animatedly, seemingly ignorant to the arrival of Naruto. One of them, a male of average height and muddy brown hair, waved his arms at his sides frantically while squirming his shoulders slightly. The other, a young girl with platinum blond hair hid a smile behind her left hand as a small giggle passed by her lips.

_You should have seen it_, Naruto's mouth mimed the male guard, reading the man's lips. _I'd never seen anything quite like that. I could have sworn that the Inuzuka was going to lose his fight; I mean, his arms were bound and all he could seem to do was wiggle around desperately._

_What happened then? If you were so sure he was going to lose._

_I'm not one-hundred percent positive. One second, he could barely spin his wrists, the next? He cold-cocks his opponent in the face during some mid-fight banter. _

_Heh. Sounds like Uchiha-san bit off more than he could chew._

_I wouldn't say that..._

_Oh?_

_Well, yeah! He did eventually win the fight. He did walk away with a broken nose though, and I'm sure his pride was plenty bruised as well._

_I bet._

_I did, that's for sure. Ten to one odds that Inuzuka wouldn't even scratch the Uchiha? I couldn't resist taking a bet at those odds. I mean, no matter how good someone is, the only have to get cocky and fuck up once. Right?_

"Oi, language mister!" Naruto called out with both hands cupped to his mouth. "Don't swear in the presence of such beauty; it can only mar them if you aren't sensitive enough about their delicacies."

His sudden outburst startled both of the guards, almost humorously as it looked as though the young man was about to wet himself in fright. Satisfied with the results of his – impromptu – prank, Naruto walked calmly up to the check-in station to register his arrival.

"Name, rank and ID number if you are a part of the military force. Name, occupation and residential identification card if you're only a civilian. Name and purpose of visit if you aren't a citizen of Konoha." The woman's voice carried over to him with a hint of mirth mixed in with her authoritative tone.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He responded slowly, pulling out the sealed letter from the sleeve of his sanguine yukata. "As for the purpose of my visit... I'm sure this letter will explain everything." He held the letter out to the guards.

"This is..." The male's voice trailed off as he took in the sight of the Hokage's seal adorning the back of the letter. "A personal summons from the Yondaime Hokage?"

"Colour me impressed kid." Her voice drew his attention. Her cobalt eyes caught his mismatched pair of red and purple. "It's not everyday that someone with this kind of sway comes to Konoha from the southern gate."

"No?" Naruto asked, his curiosity getting the better of him once again. "And where, pray tell, do they normally come from then?"

"Usually? Western gate." The male handed the letter back after skimming the contents. "Capitol of Hi no Kuni is that way; after all."

"I see..." Naruto trailed off. "Forgive me, but, I find myself without knowing the name of the beauty that is before my eyes. Would you grant me the privilege of knowing by what name a goddess made real, such as yourself goes by?"

He was laying it on rather thick, he knew that. Naruto couldn't do much about that though; once something – especially something (or someone in this case) – this beautiful caught his eye, there was little he could do about it. It was just part of who he was.

Something he was desperately trying to hold on to.

"Oh my." Her voiced hitched. Naruto found it rather cute. "I don't think anyone has ever called me a goddess before." She broke eye contact, and Naruto could feel her eyes roam over his body from top to bottom.

She took him in; from his golden blond hair fringed with red flowing gently in the wind – giving the illusion that his hair was made of flames – to his pair of mismatched eyes; one the colour of fresh blood, and the other a deep purple. Those eyes of his made an impression, if the widening of _her_ eyes was anything to go by. A smile crawled dreamily across her face as she gazed down to his torso, partially exposed as it was, behind a sanguine yukata patterned with leaves of yellows, browns and reds.

"You're not all that bad yourself, Uzumaki Naruto." She declared with a predatory look to her eyes and with a smile to match. "Yamanaka Ino." She held out her hand to him, a look of expectancy on her face.

Reaching towards her hand with his own, Naruto ducked down slightly as though he were about to place a soft kiss upon her knuckles when he suddenly jerked her forward, pulling her towards him. Returning to his full height, he tipped his face down as he gently cupped her chin and pushed her face up to his. Within a heartbeat, Ino's face flushed crimson as she felt the pressure of his lips against hers in a forcefully chaste kiss. Her eyes fluttered open in shock, before she regained enough of her composure to pull herself back and slap him. Hard.

The sound of flesh on flesh echoed harshly in the mid-morning air.

Someone chuckled softly.

"I deserved that." Naruto chuckled as he tenderly rubbed his reddened cheek.

"Damn right you did!" Ino screamed. "You don't just kiss someone you don't even know. What the hell is wrong with you!?"

At this point, the male guard completely lost it. His giggles had turned in to outright laughter. He doubled over, making a show of clutching his sides and slapping his knee in an exaggerated show of his mirth. He laughed and laughed for minutes as the two blonds could do nothing but stare at him; one with fire in her glare and the other with just as much laughter behind his eyes. Wiping the tears that had formed in his eyes, the man stood upright once more and took Naruto's hand in his own before shaking it vigorously.

"You are my hero, Uzumaki-sama." He declared rather cheerfully. "I have never, and I do mean never, seen Yamanaka-san here quite so livid. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she rather enjoyed the kiss, but wasn't overly fond of the circumstances behind it."

"Thank you..." Naruto started before trailing off. Glancing over at Ino, he took note of her growing ire. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I got _your_ name."

"Kamizuki Izumo. It's fuckin' great to meet you." If anything, Izumo's smile widened as he gave his name to Naruto. "Though I think it's time you see yourself to the Hokage. I don't think Ino is going to be shell-shocked much longer." He pointed towards the blond girl that was being to tremble in fury. "I'd run before she lunges at you. She's going to rip either you balls off, or your clothes; either way, I don't want to see it."

"Sage like advice." Naruto said as he began to bound hurriedly in to the village proper. "Nice meeting you Izumo-san! Ino-chan!" His jovial cry carried back to them over his shoulder.

"I'll kill you!" Ino lost it. "Get back here Uzumaki!"

Izumo just laughed some more.

* * *

AN: That is the first part (of three) of the opening chapter of SoLE. I use chapter loosely here, as instead of each chapter being in one whole part, I'm dividing each one into three or four segments. If I manage to keep pace with what I want, you'll get one segment a week; or one chapter a month.

I thought I'd do better with micro updates weekly, than with macro updates monthly. If you prefer I do monthly instalments, let me know via PM (not reviews) and I'll do just that. FYI, each instalment will probably be along the lines of 4~6k words; or 16~24k per chapter. Again, if you want one large chapter a month, let me know.

Also; I don't have a beta reader yet, so if you come across any grammatical or spelling errors just let me know in the reviews. Or PM if you wish to be my beta reader. I'll want proof of you competency in the English language before I accept though.

Until (Hopefully) next week.

Kyudaime Houkan


	2. Chapter 1 PT 2

Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously behind his golden strands of hair; their dead gaze taking in the sight of a distraught soul. What he had bore witness to that day could only be called an echo; a phantom made of the choices the man before him had made. To him – to Naruto – it resounded through eternity, a ripple in the pond of humanity. A wave of change that caused the downfall of nations and the rise in the passions of people.

_What choice has he made here today?_

_What becomes of me? Where do we go from here?_

_The quickening of war?_

_The blood in the wave; a seductress shadowed by moonlight._

"You have your orders, Naruto." The blond man before him, Namikaze Minato, spoke with such a soft voice that Naruto wasn't sure he had even heard anything. "You have until next week to settle yourself within the village."

"Only a week, Chichi-ue?" Naruto asked, more than a little shocked at the hasty time frame set out by the Hokage. "Will that be enough time?"

"Regardless. I'm afraid we have use of some of your more – unique – talents out in the field. A week will _have_ to be enough to get yourself rooted. You'll be given a modest sum to afford living quarters and whatever gear your may need." Tired blue eyes looked up from paperwork to take in the sight of the young man. Minato couldn't help but feel more than a little swell of pride within his being. His son had grown into a powerful shinobi in his own right; even if his future could be cut short at any moment.

"As you desire Chichi-ue." Naruto bowed slightly to the Hokage after rising to his feet. "Is there anything else you need of me at the moment?"

"Just..." Minato paused. What did he mean to say here? He hadn't spoken to his son in years, he barely felt himself a father even _if_ he was proud of the boy; he barely felt as though he played his role. "No. It's nothing. You're free to go as you please."

"By your leave then, Hokage-sama. Chichi-ue." Turning away from the Hokage, Naruto began to leave the room, only to pause at the door hesitantly. "Haha-ue and Nabuki-chan, are they still in the village?"

"Yes, though you'll be hard pressed to find them if you went looking for them. Kushina is very good at hiding your sister away when she wants to." Minato spoke with a small chuckle at his wife's antics. "If you want to see them, just head to this location tomorrow." The older man quickly scribbled something on a small leaf of paper before flinging it to his son with a small burst of wind chakra.

"I'll..." It was Naruto's turn to pause for a moment here, the awkwardness of the conversation having caught up to him. "I'll see you later, Chichi-ue."

"Yeah." The Hokage let out a despondent sigh as his son closed the door to the office behind him. "I'll talk to you some other time, Naruto." He let his eyes linger on the large wooden doors for several moments before turning his attention back to the piles of paperwork before him.

* * *

"The tragedy of this world is that no one is happy, whether stuck in a time of pain or joy."

-Alan Lightman, Einstein's Dreams

* * *

**Synchronization of Lucid Emotions **

**Chapter One: Weary Eyes of the Tired Soul**

Uchiha Sasuke was livid. To say he was anything less at this absurdity of this whole situation would be an example of litotes. Yesterday the Hokage, his _superior _officer and leader of Konohagakure, had insinuated that he purposefully killed – murdered – his teammate. His anger had the entire night to seethe; festering the the front of his conscious thoughts.

To question his loyalty in such a brazen manner. _The nerve of that man_. His family had been executed by the ANBU and his own brother before his very eyes for that very reason; their lack of loyalty to the village. Sasuke would never dare to show any signs of disloyalty to Konoha – if only to avoid that fate. He and his brother, Itachi, were the last loyal scions of the Uchiha family; and the last living.

Yet his brother hadn't shown himself in front of Sasuke in years, ever since the day of the execution. His last memory of Itachi is of the young man, his ANBU gear dripping in the blood of his kin; _their_ kin.

To even consider that Sasuke would murder his best friend; his _only_ friend. _What point would that even serve?! They'd execute me before I even had the chance to consider using the Mangekyou Sharingan._ It wasn't healthy, he knew that, but damned if it wasn't hard to dwell on this.

"Good morning Sasuke-teme." Sakura's voice called out through the clearing shaking Sasuke loose from his darkening thoughts. "I was sure I was going to be here before you this time."

"Hn." _Great response, dumbass. "_Better luck next time Haruno-san." _Be polite, don't rise to her bait or sink to her level. Treat her with respect, that will do more to annoy her than if you were to respond in kind. _"You should know by now that aside from that one time with Hideki, I'm always the first one here in the morning." _Don't! Don't bring him up; it still hurts. It wasn't my fault. I didn't do it. He had his choice, he could have moved._

"Well..." Sakura chewed on her words as she narrowed her emerald eyes. "I see someone as least managed to eat his bowl of bitch-flakes this morning." Her tone was far too cheerful for the words that crawled from her mind.

"Now, now. There is no need for you to whip your dick out Haruno-san." _Why? Why do I have to suffer this torment. _"I'm aware that your," he paused to consider his words, "_tool_ is larger than mine. No need to reaffirm your manhood."

"You. Are. Such. An ass Uchiha." Sakura's voice was laced with venom. If possible, her glare narrowed even further. "I can't believe their making us try this again. We never showed any aptitude at the whole _teamwork_ thing before, do they really think that we'll start now?"

"How the hell should I know?" _You are the dumbest bitch that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. _"I don't even _pretend_ to understand what runs through the minds of our esteemed leaders." _God I want this to end; end it all before it can start up again._

"It's good to see that the two of you still get along so famously." Kakashi's voice drawled out as he slowly sauntered into the clearing. "Now, if you kiddies could be so kind as to hold your tongues for a moment I can let you know of the plans for the day."

_I don't care what the plans for the day are! I just want this to end before it can begin. "_Hn." _Poignant. _

"Now, now. No need to be so anti-social with me Sasuke-kun." Kakashi's eye crinkled in amusement at the site of the _elite_ Uchiha withering in to himself. "As I was saying, we'll be waiting here for our new teammate to arrive."

"Do you know who it is Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked turning her attention away from the brooding Uchiha. "I forgot to ask the Hokage yesterday during the debriefing."

"No. No I do not." Kakashi responded, that hint of amusement still noticeable in his voice. "Sensei told me it would be a surprise; and I must say, I'm looking forward learning who it is myself."

_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up._

"Well, let's hope that whomever it is isn't scared off by our bundle of joy here. Isn't that right Sasuke-teme?" Sarcasm and ridicule _oozed_ through the sound of her voice.

_Shut up and fuck me,"_Sakura. Shut up." _Too harsh, my voice was too harsh there. I should apologi – no! I will not. She deserves this. "_I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't." She sung –_ sung_ – her response mockingly. "Maybe you aren't as smart as you think you are." She haughtily flipper her hair with her left hand dismissing him outright as she turned away from the boy and looked off into the distances. "Heads up. We've got incoming."

Off in the distance, the trio could just barely make out the form of a young – man? – walking towards them, almost teasingly slow. His – yes it was a he – was eerily similar to the taunting gait of a naked women leading a stuttering fool to the bedroom. As he got even closer, they could see his blond hair flowing in the breeze, trailing a good two feet off to his left side.

He wore a hakama, spring green in colour, with a pink and blue floral pattern at the base of the sleeves – both leg and arm sleeves – trimmed with crimson. He wore no visible weapons, but from the way he carried himself, the trio could tell that he felt confident in his ability to defend himself if such a need were to arise.

That's when they noticed he was close enough that they could make out the blood-red iris of his only visible eye; the other hidden by hair that remained untouched by the wind.

_Eerie._

"Can you tell me," the boy's voice called out to the three of them, coming to a full stop ten feet away. "Can you tell me of the choices that brought you _here_ today." His dulcet tones reverberating in the air.

_To pursue a crush; her fleeting happiness._

_In memory of fallen friends; to shoulder his burdens._

_Fear of being left behind; a deep, burning regret._

"What an interesting question." Kakashi replied after a brief flash of – something. "Allow me to pose one of my own. What brings you to Konoha, Uzumaki-sama."

Sasuke's eyes flashed over to Kakashi in surprise. _He knows this boy; and the way he refers to him. Respect. Something he usually reserves for the Hokage. _Glancing back to the new arrival Sasuke couldn't help but feel confused.

"Ah Hatake-dono." The boy spoke, his voice still oddly melodious. "Chichi-ue requested I return after all these years. Apparently he has some use for me now; and the risk posed by my presence is negligible these days." That crimson eye locked on to Sasuke's own onyx eyes, tearing through his soul. "Though I must confess," he continued after a moment, "the risk is still there, it hasn't vanished completely."

Sasuke could practically see the emphasis on the word _completely_.

"I see." Kakashi's voice carried an edge of fear to it; it was subtle, but Sasuke could pick up on it. "That 'use of you' wouldn't happen to be our new teammate, would it?"

"Nothing of the sort Hatake-dono. I am simply to be sent somewhere and pointed in a direction. You can guess the rest."

_Of course he can. His relief that this boy isn't going to be on our team is painfully obvious; even if he tries to hide it. _Sasuke felt his body tense. If Kakashi wasn't completely comfortable around this boy, then he wouldn't be either. He would be ready to defend himself.

"Aren't you going to introduce us Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura spoke up for the first time in minutes. "It's rather rude of you not to."

"Forgive Hatake-dono little lady." The boy replied smoothly as he diverted his attention to the pink haired girl. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Though you're more than welcome to simply call me Naruto."

Kakashi's breath hitched._ Hitched!_

"Uzumaki-sama, I must protest." The silver haired man's hands were at his side in worry. "It would be rude of either of my students to not call you as respectfully as possible." His single eye widened slightly.

"A compromise then, Hatake-dono. They may call me Naruto-sama if they wish. I will not force those of my age to cow to me for something they are not aware of." The boy, Naruto, his tone was no longer soft and enticing. It now carried a hard edge to it with a tone of authority that demanded to be obeyed. He spoke with the voice of the Hokage.

"If I may be so bold." _No, no I may not. Shut up you idiot. _"If you aren't to be on our team, then why are you bothering us today." _Respect, respect him before he kills you. _"Uzumaki-sama."

"You as well huh?" Naruto questioned to himself after Sasuke spoke. "Well no matter, I'm sure at least Ino-chan will treat me kindly while I'm here."

_He knows Yamanaka-san? What is going on here?_

"To answer your question, Uchiha-kun," _he's mocking me,_ "I was told by Chichi-ue that if I desired to meet someone that I should wait for them here as they would no doubt be making an appearance some time this day." The smile on the blond's face was unnerving to say the least. "I'm sure you won't object to some company, ne?"

"We'll see..." Sasuke's voice trailed off in reply. _I need to know what's going on here. Who will give me the answers?_

* * *

Yamanaka Ino swore for the umpteenth time that morning as she wandered aimlessly through the market district. Izumo had teased her endlessly yesterday. For the duration of her shift as gate guard, the brunet assaulted her with question after question regarding the kiss she shared with Naruto. By the end of the day she was blushing so hard she was sure she was going to bruise.

Walking home that night she subconsciously placed her finger to her lips, as though trying to remember the exact taste of his lip. She had also lost count of the number of times she had sighed dreamily to herself before she pushed to the door to her parent's house open and stumbled in; still locked in the daze of imaginary romance.

To think that a kiss could have so much power over her. Even her mother had asked who the lucky boy was.

_Oh, I'll show them lucky alright. _Ino had thought to herself as she left the house that morning to begin her hunt of the blond boy. _I'll show them so much lucky that no one will ever want to be _lucky. _Ever again._

So here she was, hours later and still with nothing to show for her work. The only person who may have any real idea of where he may be was the Hokage; and he certainly wouldn't be willing to meet with her just so that she could get her revenge.

_First; he'll take me out to dinner, nothing cheap, but something fancy and expensive. Then; we'll go for a walk around the town until we get lost in a flurry of emotions. Next we'll... gah!_ Ino cut her thoughts off the moment she realized their nature. _I can't afford to be thinking like that. He was just teasing me, I'm sure of it. _

_He'll learn to fear me soon enough._

"Hey beautiful." A rough voice pulled her from her thoughts. "What's got you so lost in thought."

Ino turned her head to the side, to the source of the voice; and she cursed. Inuzuka Kiba. "None of your business, mutt!"

"Why so hostile Blondie?" A look of hurt flashed across his face briefly. "I mean you no harm." The boy held his hands up at his side in a show of good will. "Just wondering what has your panties in a bunch."

"What does it matter to you? My business is just that; my business." She knew her voice was harsher than strictly necessary, but she couldn't help it. She was at her wits end. "I don't remember ever giving you permission to butt into my life like that."

"No?" He asked, almost mockingly. "What about that time we dated for a year. I'm pretty sure I was allowed to 'butt into' your life then." His voice carried a snappish tone. Flipping the hood of his sweater down, his wild brown mop of hair shuddered in the wind.

"We agreed that never happened, mutt." Her voiced dripped with venom as her glare hardened. Her blue eyes narrowing in distaste. "Or at least, we agreed that I would castrate you with a rusty pen knife if you ever brought that back up in public."

Kiba winced at the threat, stumbling in his steps slightly before righting himself. "Well. I can see someone remember to eat her bitch-flakes this morning. Shall I leave you to your bleeding?"

"My bleeding?" Ino's voice carried a questioning tone as he stared quizzically at Kiba for a few moments. Once he lost control, and a feral grin spread across his face she snarled in disgust. "I'm not on my period you fuck." She spat out as she shook in rage. "You can fuck off now."

"Fine!" Kiba shouted as he turned around and began to walk away. "Do yourself a favour Ino. Go and get yourself a good fuck."

"What do you think I'm trying to do right now?" She shouted her question back to him before disappearing into the restaurant she found herself by in her wanderings. She laughed when she saw Kiba fall flat on his face from the corner of her eye.

"Welcome." The waitresses chipper voice drew Ino's attention instantly. "How may I help you today."

"Do you know where there's a fuckable, blond teenage boy around my age around? He has one red and one purple eye and the tightest chest I've seen since Hyuuga Neji woke up drunk and naked in the gutter last year." She smiled at the blush that spread across the waitresses face; ignoring her own despite the feeling of warmth.

"Ah... no. Sorry."

_Tch._ "Too bad. If you see him; he's mine." Ino allowed the waitresses to lead her to a small booth to the side of the restaurant. "Though I may be tempted to share." The waitress left behind a menu and began to hurry away.

"Convince me." Ino mumbled to herself. "I don't want him..." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

* * *

Two red-heads casually walked through the village in the direction of the training grounds; the wind catching their crimson strands. Many, if not all, of the villagers they passed on their way waved to them; a gesture they returned with much vigour.

"Fine! Do yourself a favour Ino. Go and get yourself a good fuck." A voiced carried from the distance making both girls break out in small chuckles.

"What do you think I'm trying to do right now!" A feminine voice respond causing both girls to break down in laughter in the middle of the street. It was absurd, talking about sex at those volumes so early in the day. Even Kushina, the older of the two girls, wasn't_ that_ crass.

"Mama." The young girl looked up the Kushina in confusion. "What does that mean? 'Go and find yourself a good fuck.'" Despite not knowing the question she was asking, the young girl managed a blush.

"Namikaze Nabiku!" Kushina's voice carried a tone harsher than she intended, and she winced a little at her own volume. "That is a question best saved for when you're a few years older still."

"How much older?" Nabiku answered, her voice laced with feigned innocence. "I'm mean, I'm not a virgin anymore. Hideki saw to that before..." Her voice trailed off. That wound was still too fresh for her liking.

"Nabiku!" Kushina was scandalized. "You're only fourteen. You shouldn't have even known what sex was for another year or two 'ttebane." Her face managed to turn the same shade as her hair. "We're done. No more talking about sex in public."

"Yes mama." Nabiku's shamed voice responded in a low tone. After a few moments of walking in silence, Nabuki spoke up once again. "Do you think we'll run into Naruto-nii?"

"Hmm." Kushina stopped to think for a moment. "That's right, Minato said that Naru-chan would be in town for the next week or so. Well, don't worry Nabiku. I'm sure he'll stop by and say hi sometime."

Kushina and Nabiku began to walk towards the training grounds again, both of them sporting a goofy grin at the thought of running into the estranged Uzumaki progeny again; Kushina for seeing her son again for the first time in years, and Nabiku for meeting her brother for the first time since she was three years old.

If the girls had their way, it would be a day to remember for a long, long time to come.

For all the wrong reasons.

Probably.

* * *

AN: And there is the second part of the first chapter; Weary Eyes for the Tired Soul.

It was actually fun writing the first part of this chapter from Sasuke's PoV; and that style is something I'll endeavour in include more often. Though, it will probably be from other characters PoV next time.

So as you can see so far, the SoLE universe is quite a bit different from the Naruto Canon. With Naruto's parents still being alive, and him having a younger sister. The Uchiha were executed, and this knowledge wasn't kept from Konoha or Sasuke.

**Nabuki**: The name of Naruto's younger sister. Her appearance wasn't described in this part in the slightest, aside from that her hair is the same shade as Kushina's. You'll get her appearance next chapter. As for her name; Nabuki can mean one of two things: A wave (In the wind); or seduced.

This is also be the last author's note to show up in the story itself; from now on, you'll find the notes posted to my profile page the same day a chapter is posted - if, and only if - the chapter actually requires a note. If not, there will be no note. Obviously.


End file.
